lowly

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 卑 is associated with regarding something as low or despicable; its on-reading is ひ.
• Basic usage: 卑怯 can describe evading responsibility or cheating as cowardly; 卑しい can describe exploiting someone's weakness as despicable.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Low as an evaluation
  • Low here is an evaluation of a person or action, not physical height or position. Applied to a person, it can be strongly derogatory.
• Forms before nouns
  • 卑怯なやり方 requires な, while 卑しい directly modifies the noun in 卑しい行為.